The multi-millionaire racing drivers could soon be an endangered species if a new autonomous motorsport series succeeds.

Dubbed Roborace, the new concept will pit 20 cars against each other on race tracks set up in some of the world's biggest cities - without a single driver behind the wheel.

The cars will all be identical except for the computer programs that drive them. Ten teams will each enter two cars using their own real-time computing algorithms and Artificial Intelligence technologies.

Formula E will add a support series for self-driving cars called Roborace. Photo: Tim Ireland

The series will support the all-electric Formula E championship during its 2016-17 season, which is once again expected to feature 10 street tracks built in major cities around the world including London, Moscow and Beijing.

Roborace is backed by investment company Kinetik which wants to use the concept to promote both electric cars and autonomous driving technology.

"We passionately believe that, in the future, all of the world's vehicles will be assisted by AI and powered by electricity, thus improving the environment and road safety," said Denis Sverdlov, Kinetik and Roborace founder.

Tesla's Autopilot in action. Photo: Lucas Kennedy

"Roborace is a celebration of revolutionary technology and innovation that humanity has achieved in that area so far. It's a global platform to show that robotic technologies and AI can co-exist with us in real life."

Autonomous cars are a major focus area for several leading car makers. Volvo and the South Australian government ran the first multi-vehicle autonomous driving test on Australian roads earlier this year.

American electric car maker Tesla launched its 'Autopilot' system in Australia this year that can park the car without any input from the driver.

Mercedes-Benz is another automaker working on autonomous cars but the German giant's Formula One team boss Toto Wolff dismissed the idea of racing self-driving cars.

"Autonomous driving is going to eventually happen on roads in road cars," Wolff said at the Abu Dhabi Grand Pix. "It's going to make our lives easier. And that is the way the technology goes.

"We are all here [in Formula One] mostly because we like to see racing drivers racing each other, gladiators in machines that are fascinating to watch.

"So that [a driverless series] is not at all what I would consider a sport. That is a technological or R&D [research and development] playing field."